Hybrid Soldier: A Linkin Park Fanzine

A Linkin Park fanzine, created by the Movellian captain of Linkin Park Soldiers...AThousandMidnightTheories! Upcoming events, funny stories and pictures, and featured songs...Maybe some secrets will even be revealed...if you're an LP Soldier, Hybrid Soldier is the fanzine for you!

15. Peeking Into the Past - A Look at Chester's Life Before LP

Peeking Into the Past - A Look at Chester's Life Before LP

11/13/15

Chester Bennington - amazing singer, tattoo enthusiast, awesome musician, and a great inspiration. Chester is known for being crazy and funny and random, and right now, his life looks like it's going pretty good.

It wasn't always that way, though.

Today, we're taking a look at Chester's life before Linkin Park. We will find a surprising amount of pain, loneliness, and heartbreak. I should warn you: this is not a tale for the faint of heart. This is completely true, and must be read with total seriousness.

Born in Phoenix, Arizona to a nurse and a Phoenix police detective who's specialty was child sex abuse cases, Chester Bennington had busy parents. His father frequently took double shifts at work.

Bennington found a passion for music at a young age, and was especially inspired by rock bands such as Depeche Mode and Stone Temple Pilots. He even dreamed of becoming a member of Stone Temple Pilots one day.

At the age of seven, an older male friends started abusing Bennington sexually, leaving him scarred.

When Bennington was eleven years old, his parents divorced, leaving young Chester in the custody of his father. The divorce left Bennington in a serious depression, and he began abusing multiple drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, and meth. He also became a heavy drinker.

The sexual abuse continued until Bennington was thirteen. Bennington was severely depressed from the divorce, the abuse, and also frequent bullying that he received from classmates at school. He had violent urges, and struggled to resist, turning to art and writing for comfort.

Bennington moved in with his mother when he was seventeen, and she quickly discovered his addiction and did what she could to try to end it.

Eventually, Bennington was able to successfully step away from the drugs and alcohol. He finally told his father about his abuser, and revealed the identity. However, Bennington ended the case when he discovered that his abuser had also been a victim.

Bennington started his music career in a band called Sean Dowdell and His Friends? This eventually became Grey Daze. Eventually, Bennington left the band, and struggled to find a new group to sing with. He had almost given up when he got a call from a friend. The call was about what would soon become Linkin Park. Chester auditioned, and you know the rest of the tale.

Chester Bennington had a rough and rocky childhood, and he most likely would not be the inspiration that he is today if it had been an easy life for Bennington.